Blue Blood Red Blood
by MissScaryKitty
Summary: Nines is faster, stronger, and more resilient than his predecessor, Connor. But after the failed deviant uprising, CyberLife cannot afford another public embarrassment. In order to make sure their newest RK model is completely devoid of flaws, they partner him with suspected deviant sympathizer, Detective Elizabeth Neilson. Nines/OC
1. Chapter 1

Quick note before we begin. This chapter is set before and after the first scene (The Hostage) in Detroit. Connor is fresh off the line and restrained by many CyberLife protocols that the company eventually eases up on. Of course they'd want to start off with restrictions on combat, firearm handling, and anything that permits them to harm humans. Anyway, I'm going to assume you guys are smart cookies and can connect the dots. Just wanted to throw this bit out there for clarification.

**Chapter One: **

Eliza ran out into the alleyway, her gun drawn. She was already keyed up, her muscles saturated in adrenaline as emotion began to take precedent over rational thought.

Connor, "the android sent by CyberLife", as he always introduced himself, followed close behind the detective. His systems worked furiously to find a solution to their current situation. At the moment, the frustrating and most obvious option was to continue to pursue the suspect and his hostage.

Back in the apartment, they had not expected the suspect, David Perkins, to walk in on them during their search nor could they have guessed he would have his daughter, Katie, with him. The situation went completely, irrevocably, sideways the moment he pulled a gun and started firing on them before bolting down the hallway, dragging his daughter with him.

Perkins ran out of the alleyway, cutting left down the main street. Connor saw Eliza get knocked to the ground by the impact of a bullet in her shoulder. A scan revealed that the wound was non-fatal.

A second later, the detective was caught in the headlights of Perkin's pickup truck. Her heart leapt in her throat, her pupils shrinking to pinpricks, as the screeching of tires filled the empty street and the truck raced towards her. During her feeble attempt to scramble out of the way, she felt the tight, painful, grip of Connor's hand on her ankle as he quickly dragged her backwards out of the way of the vehicle speeding towards her. She let out a frightened yelp and squeezed her eyes shut as the wind generated from the large wheels whipped by her face as they barely missed her.

As the truck barreled down the street, Eliza shot out the back windshield, aiming for Perkins. Her magazine was nearly half empty when Connor made a decisive move.  
"Stop firing, Elizabeth! If the car crashes, there's a 78% possibility you'll kill the victim," he explained, scrambling over her and pressing her hands down, effectively pinning the gun to the pavement. The probability of failure quickly rose from there- 79%, 84%, 86%...  
"It's our only chance..." Eliza ground out, furiously struggling against the android as she tried her hardest to free herself. "... if we don't stop him, he will kill her. You know what he does to them!"  
Connor ignored her desperate rationalizing and continued to hold her at bay. The flesh of her hands ground against the rough asphalt but she continued to fight as if she couldn't feel it.  
"Please, shoot him, Connor! Shoot him!"  
Connor's LED cycled from yellow to red as he tried to process her orders. He couldn't allow her to take the risk of killing the victim nor did his programming permit him to take the gun and fire on a human. Even though he would have a 76% success rate of stopping the car safely, he couldn't comply with what she was asking him to do so he remained as he was.  
"Please!" She begged as precious seconds slipped away.  
The truck skidded around the corner and out of sight. Eliza knew their chance was gone. Connor was not going to disobey his programming.  
Taking in a shuttering breath, Eliza slumped down onto the pavement. Connor felt her gently shake beneath him hot tears cutting streaks down her face. The detective pressed her forehead to the ground and let out a tortured sob as the first full breath of air in a minute finally came to her. The sound was gut wrenching.  
Connor's LED cycled bright red upon hearing it. His simulated breathing patterns halted in shock at her voice's effect on him. His grip on her hands slowly loosened and the moment she realized this Eliza reached up and pushed him away from her. She wanted so badly to tell him to go fuck himself but she couldn't manage it through her erratic breathing. She was practically choking on air.

Connor looked at her hands, noticing that her fingers were all scraped up and bloodied. His LED flashed red once more at the sight of them. He had done that to her.  
After running a scan, he considered informing her that she was having an anxiety attack, but refrained. Instead, he sat next to her in silence as she fell deeper into the realization of their failure.  
Something in him wanted to reach out to her and touch her- maybe squeeze her shoulder. The strange compulsion felt like a back channel being opened within him, diverting around his normal system functions. His LED cycled yellow for much longer than it ought as he tried to process this compulsion. The need to touch her and its purpose for doing so was lost in translation. A software instability warning flashed up in front of his eyes. This gave him pause.

Ultimately, he did not reach out and they sat next to one another in silence- each one a prisoner of their own thoughts.

%%%%%

Connor pulled the car up to the front of Eliza's apartment building and put it in park. She had not wanted him to take her home but he had insisted.  
"Connor," she said turning to face him. His doe-like brown eyes met hers before answering.  
"Yes, Elizabeth?"  
She pulled her .45 from her jacket and balanced it in her open palm between them.  
"Take it," she told him.  
As Connor looked down at the weapon, a red caution barrier flashed across his vision, warning him of the consequences of androids handling firearms.  
"Androids are not permitted to-"  
As he recited the law to her, Eliza reached across the center console and took hold of his right hand, pressing the gun into it. The smooth black metal, warmed by her touch, quickly cooled in his hand. Adjusting his grip, Connor noted its considerable weight.  
"I'm giving you permission, Connor. Next time, I tell you to shoot someone, shoot them."

Connor wordlessly slipped the gun into his inner jacket pocket. He knew what she was telling him, but it really wasn't that simple. He couldn't just disobey the parameters CyberLife, as well as the government, set for him. But as he looked into her eyes, he felt something inside him give way to her.

Back in the alley she had reached out to him for help and he denied her. They were supposed to be partners. He was supposed to help her. He was supposed to save lives. But because he did as CyberLife told him, he did neither of those today. Maybe his programming prevented him from making the right choice, he thought. He could not rule out that possibility. That's why he took the gun.

"Do you have anyone at home?" Connor asked after a moment of silence.

"Does a cat count?" She murmured, a wry smile tugging at her lips.

"A cat?" Connor considered this for a moment. "Although I do enjoy cats, they cannot provide the same emotional support that a friend or family member can."

"You don't know my cat," said Eliza, knowing even as she was saying it that her joke would be lost on the android. "Goodnight, Connor."

Connor watched curiously as Eliza exited the car and entered the building. Once she was out of sight, he stared down the road for a long while before finally driving off. He never wanted to see her fall apart like that again.

%%%%

Eliza set her coffee on her desk and grabbed her laptop out of her backpack before dropping it on the floor next to her chair. Just before she could sit down, the booming voice of Captain Fowler filled the bullpen.

"Nielson, my office NOW!"

Eliza felt an immediate stab of anxiousness in her chest as she pushed herself out of her chair and approached the captain's glass-walled office. She knew she was in deep shit.

"God, what the fuck did you do?" Gavin muttered as she passed by his desk. She said nothing as she made her way to Fowler's office.

"Sir?" She questioned as the glass door closed behind her.

"I just received a call from CyberLife regarding last night's hostage crisis," he began, his anger bubbling right beneath the surface of his less-than-calm facade. She could tell he was trying his best to keep himself from yelling at her right off the bat, but she knew he'd eventually lose that internal battle- he always did. "Apparently, you gave the android a gun? What the fuck were you thinking?"

"Look, during our first case, Connor was forced to choose CyberLife protocols over shooting the suspect and he got away. So yes, I gave him a gun and taught him a little self-reliance. What's wrong with that? He saved the hostage and that's all that matters."

"That's all that matters?" He mocked, hardly believing that was the defense she was going with. "So it's fine to break the law as long as long as it gets the job done- that's what you're telling me?"

"CyberLife doesn't make the law, they make stupid rules that get people killed. If they want an android to protect the public, they need to give him the means to do it!" She argued.

"Goddamnit. You do realize that Connor is not a HIM, right? It is a piece of CyberLife property and they get to make the rules regarding how their property is used. Access to this technology is a privilege and they can pull their sponsorship with this department at any time."

"So that's it." Eliza let out a derisive laugh. Fowler was only concerned that CyberLife might pull their sponsorship from the department.

"Don't fucking start." He warned her, punctuating his anger with a stern point of his finger. "Because of what you did, CyberLife has demanded Connor be reassigned a new partner and to make sure you are barred from working with any KR800 models in the future."

"You told them to piss off right?" She asked, suddenly struck with worry.

Fowler sighed before leaning back in his chair, his tired eyes drown down to the blotter on his desk. She expected too much of him, especially considering how bad she fucked up.

"No. I'm sorry, but I'm not taking your side on this," he told her, seeming regretful that he had to make the choice.

Eliza sucked in a deep breath, trying to resign herself to the situation. The whole thing was bullshit. "So, who's Connor being reassigned to- Davis? Reed?"

"I'm giving him over to Hank Anderson."

Eliza cocked her head to the side so abruptly, it hurt her neck. "I'm sorry, I could have sworn you just said Hank."

"I did." He said, his serious expression unwavering.

It was known by everyone in the department that Hank hated androids. Even though the old lieutenant had been more-or-less a mentor to her in her early days, Eliza did not support the decision one bit. Hank was a burnt-out drunk with no ambition and no patience. The only reason he hadn't been fired was because he was a decorated officer. Reassigning Connor to Hank was basically the equivalent of giving her the middle finger.

"You know what?... Fine," she snorted, angrily throwing her hands in the air before walking away. "Fuck it!"

As she stormed out of his office slammed the glass door so hard it rattled dangerously on its metal hinges. Fowler remained at his desk and grit his teeth in anger.

AN: Review, Favor, Follow! There will be a time jump for the next chapter where we get introduced to Nines. Their first meeting will be... strained. It's going to be a bit painful because I'm taking this story the route of the bad ending :/ Going to try and dig deep on this one. Let me know what you think so far!


	2. Chapter 2

Just a quick warning! This story is now NSFW. Hadn't planned on it but, there you go.

**The Funeral:**

The snow that blanketed the cemetery was grey with ash. It had been a week since the battle for control over the city and the smell of smoke still lingered on the air. Most of the fires had been put out or contained, but the landscape of Detroit was forever changed.

Eliza rode past two of the android death camps on her way to the funeral. The makeshift walls stood tall and imposing, cutting off entire city blocks. The grinding of the recycling machines could be heard running in the dead of night. In the daytime, however, it was eerily quiet. An ever-present cloud of smoke could be seen rising up from behind their walls. All Eliza felt when she saw them was shame.

There were still many deviants unaccounted for. Hunting them down and sending them to the camps to be destroyed became the DPD's prime directive. Every case ended up with Eliza going home, getting drunk, and screaming her throat raw from anger or getting reprimanded by Fowler for letting deviants escape. Either way, doing what she was told or disobeying got her nowhere. All she knew was it was now her job to kill innocent people. It seemed all of Detroit, including the DPD, operated at the pleasure of CyberLife.

In the final days of the battle, Connor would relentlessly insist that the deviants were not alive, that they were merely acting out a flaw in their programming. She told him that she found his answers to be too convenient for CyberLife… and for him. In the end, the ferociousness in the way he defended this belief betrayed him. In many ways, Eliza thought Connor was more human than any of the deviants she had arrested. Unfortunately, his denial of that led them to this day.

As Eliza turned off the engine of her antique Indian motorcycle, she crossed the icy lawn, cutting a straight path towards the group of mourners that were gathered around an open grave. The casket had already been lowered in. It had took most of the day convincing herself to even show up at all.

Taking a spot in the back, she quietly listened as Fowler stepped up to the podium to make a speech. He was wearing his dress uniform- as were many of the other officers gathered. It was a shadow of a proper burial for a decorated lieutenant, but the department and their resources were already stretched impossibly thin. At least there were a lot of people; more than what she imagined there would be. Somehow, this made her even more upset. She should have gone to the church, she thought shamefully. It was too late for than now.

As she looked around the group, Gavin Reed caught her eye. Their gazes met and he wordlessly made his way towards her. Sliding past an elderly woman neither of them recognized, he came to stand next to her. His body was stiff from the cold and had his hands stuffed in the pockets of his leather jacket for warmth. He had not put on his dress blues for the occasion, Eliza noted. She hardly even knew why he was there at all. Then again, she almost didn't show up herself. But her reasons for that had nothing to do with indifference.

"You're late," he murmured, leaning into her to speak.

"I know," she whispered, her voice small and tired.

Gavin looked down at her then, seeing the pain she was clearly trying to hide radiating out through her bloodshot eyes. Taking a hand out of his pocket he wrapped his arm around her shoulder and pulled her in close.

"Come on, Let's get out of here," He told her. "Hank wouldn't have wanted all this shit anyway."

She paused for a moment, considering his words. Gavin never liked Hank, but he was right. Reluctantly, she followed the detective down the icy path out of the cemetery.

%%%%

Four hours and a $157 bar tab later, Gavin Reed kicked the front door to Eliza's apartment open, his mouth hot on her neck as they stumbled inside. Eliza dropped her backpack and motorcycle helmet to the floor as she reached around him and slammed the door shut.

"I'm going to fuck you so hard, you won't be able to walk," he growled drunkenly, pushing her into the living room.

Eliza aggressively shoved his hands off of her and ripped his jacket off his shoulders and down to his elbows, restricting his arms. "Who says I'm going to let you?"

Gavin stalked towards her shucking off the heavy leather as she backed up into the bedroom. He was on her again in two long strides, his bourbon soaked tongue hungrily laving at her shoulder. Eliza gripped at his hair, roughly tugging at his brown locks, hoping the pain was punishing. A part of her hated Gavin, he was a sexist, intolerant ass, but he was exactly what she wanted right now- a body to lose herself in.

Gavin pulled away to grab the hem of his grey shirt and pull it up over his head revealing his toned chest. Eliza did the same and he hungrily took in the sight of her.

"Oh fuck, baby, you look so good," he breathed, backing her against her dresser. "I've been waiting for this a long time."

Freeing himself from his jeans, he impatiently turned her around to face the wall. Eliza tried not to be annoyed as she gripped hold of the edge of the dresser. She felt him pull her pants and underwear down to her knees before unceremoniously pushing himself inside her. Eliza gasped loudly as he gripped her hips tightly and began relentlessly pounding into her. It was shameless, but this was what she wanted.

She dug her short nails into painted wood as needy, broken, noises spilled out of her mouth as he harshly fucked her. She didn't dare close her eyes, fearing who she might fantasize in Gavin's place. Instead she stayed in the moment. At least as much as her alcohol-addled brain would let her.

A few minutes later, Gavin came with a low groan. He thrusted into her several more times before slumping over, his forehead pressing into her sweaty back. A satisfied curse fell from his lips as he pulled out of her. Eliza was the first to move away. She hadn't orgasmed nor had she expected to. His warm seed dripped down her leg, quickly cooling, as she turned away from the wall and walked to the middle of the room. Was this what being alive felt like? She wondered despondently, picking up her pants and slipping them back on.

"Do you want a coffee?" She asked, adjusting her bra and walking into the kitchen. It was only right to make him one for the road. He was too drunk to drive though. She would have to call him a cab.

In the other room, Gavin plopped down on the end of her bed, flattening out over the top of the comforter. "No, I just want to sleep."

Hearing him say that made Eliza wince. She did not want him staying the night. More than anything, she wanted to be left alone.

Grabbing up her mug from the instant coffee machine she headed back into the bedroom to civilly give him the boot.

Gavin sat up, resting his elbows on his knees. His expression hovered between post-coital bliss and being incredibly smug.

"I had no idea you liked the old man so much," he said, looking up at her through his messy hair. "It explains why you never wanted to fuck me before."

"There was nothing going on between Hank and I," she told him sternly, unamused by this conversation. Gavin was treading on very thin ice.

"But you did fuck him, right?" Gavin asked, certain that she did.

Eliza grit her teeth so hard she thought they might crack as she roughly slid her mug on top of the dresser. "Alright. Get out."

"What? Oh, come on," he said, jumping up from the bed. He took hold of her hips and leaned into her. "I'm just joking."

She pressed her hand against his chest, pinning him with her angry gaze. She had enough of him. "Get the fuck out," she growled, unwavering in her request.

"What if I don't want to," he breathed. A smile tugged at his lips as he slipped his hand beneath her bra.

Taking hold of his muscled forearm, she tried pulling him away as he fondled her breast, but he didn't let go. She pulled on him once more and his reaction was to double down and press her back against the dresser.

"Gavin…" no answer. "Gavin!"

Eliza's mind went blank for a second then, suddenly, she grabbed the coffee mug next to her and dumped its contents down Gavin's back. Some of the coffee got on her hands, but she was too scared to feel it burn her. Gavin however, stumbled backwards howling in pain.

"What the fuck's the matter with you, you crazy cunt?" he yelled, looking as though he was about to tackle her to the ground.

"Fuck you! Get out of my fucking house!" She screamed, running to the side of her bed and pulling the Glock .26 she kept in a mattress holster.

Seeing the gun, Gavin immediately gathered up his clothes and scrambled to her front door.

Eliza stood shaking by the bed, gun in hand, as she heard Gavin yell his last words to her down the entryway before slamming the door. "See you at work you fucking slut!"

Once she was certain she was alone, Eliza dropped to the floor, her gun still in her hand. What the fuck was she thinking? She berated herself, her heart racing. It was hard to process through the alcohol and panic what had just happened. She flinched at the soft brush of her cat, Bruiser, against her arm. Realizing he merely wanted to be petted, she pulled him into her lap. Leaning her head back against the wall, she closed her eyes and tried to catch her breath.

Hank was dead. She knew that. She was, for the moment, safe from androids like Connor and from men like Gavin. She was a fighter, more than all three of them were or ever could be. But none of this stopped the tears from coming. None of it stopped her from getting drunk every night and screaming into her pillow until she was too tired to care. Something had to change, she told herself. She couldn't live like this. At least not in Detroit.

Letting go of Bruiser, she calmly padded over to her desk, tears drying on her face as she set the Glock atop it. Sitting down, she opened her laptop and went into her email. Clicking on the 'New Message' button, she began to write.

'To Whom It May Concern,

I regret to inform you that I, Detective Elizabeth Neilson, will be resigning from the DPD...'

%%%%

The next morning, Fowler trudged into his office, a little worse for wear after the funeral the day before. His computer screen began flashing a video call alert but he was so engrossed in the article he was reading on the UN conference regarding the crisis in the Elusion Islands, he almost missed it. Turning on video chat, he saw Amanda starring back at him, her stern gaze and aged face giving her the appearance of a wise sage.

"Amanda, what can I do for you?" He asked, before taking a seat at his desk.

"Good morning, Jeffery. I have a request regarding the new RK900 model the department is receiving."

"Alright," he nodded before taking a sip of his coffee. CyberLife was very particular with the way their products were handled, especially after the deviant uprising. So, Fowler wasn't surprised by her call.

"We want you to assign the new model to Detective Elizabeth Neilson," said Amanda, her tone calculated. She quietly took in Fowler's confused reaction as he registered just how odd this request was.

"I'm sorry, but that's impossible. Detective Neilson handed in her resignation last night. She's leaving Detroit in two weeks," Fowler explained diplomatically.

Amanda's serious expression remained unchanged, however. It wasn't her job to negotiate with Fowler.

"We are aware," she told him, unwavering.

Fowler's brow knitted at her response. "You know Detective Neilson has been banned for working with the RK models. Why are you asking for this?" He said, confused. He could not see what benefit this would have for either of them.

"I am aware of her behavior regarding the RK800 model. However, I am afraid this is not a request," Amanda informed him.

Something told Fowler that Amanda wasn't too pleased about CyberLife's decision either. Unfortunately, both their hands were tied.

AN: Wow! so as I said before, I had not planned on writing a scene like that with Gavin. This is just what an entire afternoon of non-stop writing brought me. I promise Nines comes in the next chapter and I also promise there will be hopeful heartfelt moments in this story too.


	3. Chapter 3

One Week Ago:

Hank leaned back and stretched his arms out in surrender to the decision he knew Connor would make. The winter air gently tugged at his open jacket as the concrete from the edge of the rooftop ground against the soles of his shoes.

The old lieutenant was prepared to die- he had been resigned to it for years now. CyberLife had won and history would repeat itself as it so often did. America would once again support the enslavement of millions for economic gain. This was a world Hank Anderson no longer wished to live in. For years he had merely been going through the motions, clinging to the little sheds of hope he could see in those around him. There was nothing left to cling to. In a way, dying was easy.

As Connor loosened his grip, something behind him caught Hank's eye as he fell away. The android watched intently as the lieutenant's eyes widened in fear and helplessness in his last moments as he snatched desperately at the air.

Turning away from the roof's edge, Connor saw Eliza standing frozen in the doorway to the stairwell looking at him as if what she had just seen was some surreal nightmare. She must have been the last thing Hank saw as he let him go. The fear Connor saw in his eyes was not for himself, but for her.

"What have you done?!" Eliza managed to cry out, stumbling towards the edge of the roof before stopping herself from getting any closer to Connor.

"Hank was going to stop me from ending the uprising. Killing him was regrettable, but it had to be done," He told her coldly before picking up the damaged sniper rifle and checking the cracked scope. It was useless now. He would have to deal with Markus face-to-face.

Eliza watched in disbelief, anger mounting, as Connor went about his business acting like he hadn't just murdered the closest thing he had to a friend. He wasn't showing even a shred of remorse and it made her furious.

He killed Hank, turned his back on the DPD, and betrayed all of them in the name of his mission. She hadn't believed he was capable of it. The android standing before her was not the Connor she had come to know. But maybe that wasn't true. Maybe, it was all just a lie she told herself so she could convince herself he was alive. She didn't believe that, though. For the sake of her sanity, she couldn't. Reaching into her jacket, she pulled out her gun and leveled the barrel at his chest.

"Don't stand there and tell me you feel nothing," she bit out. "Hank was your partner!"

"He stood between me and my mission." Connor answered coldly. He refused to elaborate on his reasons. There was very little time left to reach Markus as it was and he had to deal with her and the gun she now pulled on him. On top of it all, to his chagrin, a software instability notification flashed before his eyes in angry red.

"Your mission was to protect us!" Yelled Eliza, her bleeding heart laid bare for him to see. She looked as she did on their first case, when he chose to obey CyberLife protocols over helping her save Katie Perkins. He remembered thinking that he never wanted to see her so broken again.

Another software instability warning flashed before his eyes and he grit his teeth in defiance of it. He was fine, he told himself. He self-tested just an hour ago and all systems were stable. He was perfectly fine. Hank was an unfortunate casualty, nothing more. Eliza was nothing to him now but an obstacle.

"You were the one who gave me a gun and told me to use it in order to save lives, detective. Killing Markus will allow me to do just that," he reasoned, setting down the rifle and slowly taking a cautious step towards her.

Eliza's breath caught in her throat, her heart hammering against her chest so hard she felt he could hear it. Connor was turning her words against her- trying to manipulate her. She really thought she was going to be sick.

"No… that's not what I meant. You know that's not what I meant!" She stuttered. With every step Connor took forwards, she matched him by sinking back towards the exit door.

"I will admit that the logic behind what you told me is morally flawed, but it is the way humans operate. Now, step aside so I may complete my mission."

His eyes scanned from Eliza's tear-streaked cheeks, over her stiff, trembling form. His scans indicated that, not only had he emotionally traumatized her, she was terrified of him. This too was regrettable, he thought. He enjoyed his time working with her. However, he had to get to Markus and end this.

"I'm going to have to ask you to please step aside now, Elizabeth." He repeated, politely. The promise of a threat lingered beneath his tone if she did not comply.

The young detective wordlessly shook her head. More tears welled up in her eyes and her breathing hitched as she tightened her grip on the gun. She knew defying Connor would most-likely cause her to end up like Hank, but she refused to stand aside.

Androids deserved their freedom. They were people just like her. She held fast to this belief. She would not compromise. And so, Connor couldn't be allowed to live.

"I'm sorry," she told him before pulling the trigger.

In one fluid motion, Connor ducked and lunged forwards, knocking her hands up as she fired off two more shots into the air. Using his superior strength, he stripped the gun from her hands and slammed her to the ground. Eliza felt all the air leave her lungs on impact. Her heart seized in her chest as she saw the android raise the Smith and Wesson and fire six shots. Each bluet lodged into the concrete an inch away from her body on either side.

Connor ejected the empty magazine and racked the slide before dropping the now useless weapon at her feet. Eliza stared down at it, violently coughing to catch her breath.

Connor descended the stairs, reaching into his jacket and checking his own gun to make sure he was ready when he found Markus. As he reached the street, a loud shot rang out, the sound reverberating off the brick walls of the icy buildings. His body was roughly thrown forwards as a monstrous 45 caliber round grazed his left shoulder. Catching himself, he turned to find Eliza with his sniper rifle propped up on the edge of the roof. She wasn't a bad shot considering, he mused, straightening his jacket.

Eliza ejected the empty shell from the rifle and took aim again. The weapon's heavy recoil and lack of a functioning scope made hitting her target very difficult. She watched curiously as Connor turned to face her, his calm gaze raised to hers, as if daring her to pull the trigger. She did and her heart sank as she heard the hollow click of the hammer as it struck against a bullet that wasn't there. That's when she came to the sickening realization that, being an android, Connor only needed one bullet. She had fired her only shot and missed.

Connor stared up at her a moment longer, before continuing to walk down the street towards the battle. He heard the distant strains of a furious, devastated, scream on the winter air. This time, there was no warnings of software instability. His path was clear. Without hesitation, the android continued down the street towards his mission's end.

%%%%

Present Day:

Eliza woke up face-down on her couch the next morning, her legs tangled in a fleece throw and her ratty David Bowie sweatshirt bunched up around her slender middle. She felt nauseous and still somewhat drunk from the night before. Suddenly, all the events came flooding back to her and all she wanted to do was curl up in a ball and hide.

She dipped out at Hank's funeral. She let Gavin fuck her. She resigned from the DPD. Her already imploded life had become even more complicated.

"Fuck," she muttered, squeezing her eyes shut tightly, trying not to let the mounting wave of anxiety she was currently feeling get the better of her. She had to take one thing at a time, she told herself. That was the only way to get through what was bound to be a shit day.

Sucking in a deep breath, she pushed herself to her feet and staggered towards the bathroom for a shower. Looking at her reflection in the mirror, she sighed at the utter mess that stared back at her. She turned on the taps then went to the sink and furiously brushed her teeth, washing all the alcohol and Gavin out of her mouth, as she waited for the water to heat up. Once there was a thin layer of steam built up on the mirror, she stripped down and disappeared behind the blue geometric patterned curtain.

Having showered, dressed, and eaten, Eliza grabbed her jacket and helmet before heading out the door. There was no sense in prolonging the inevitable. She was sure Fowler was going to demand an explanation for her resignation.

There was only one checkpoint between her apartment and the DPD. Still, it backed up traffic quite a bit. Along with a government-imposed curfew, these security checkpoints were only some of the new emergency measures implemented since the uprising. There was no date set on when they would end either.

These were the moments when Eliza appreciated having a motorcycle as well a badge. There were significant advantages to having both in times of crises. Coming up on the line of traffic, she slowly rode between the two lanes of cars up to the barrier.

An officer in black riot gear and an assault rifle stepped up to her. "Hello miss, please take off your helmet and show me your ID." He asked, his tone firm.

Eliza slipped off her helmet and handed him her driver's license as well as her badge. Seeing her DPD badge, the officer flipped up the dark, reflective, visor of his helmet so he could address her face-to-face. He couldn't be more than 24, Eliza guessed but she had no doubt he wouldn't hesitate in putting a bullet through a deviant.

"How's your morning, detective?" He asked politely, having dropped his previous stern air of authority. They were comrades, after all. If only he knew she wasn't going to be in the law enforcement club for much longer, she thought.

She put on an easy smile and shrugged, "It's been a morning."

"Tell me about it. Have a good day." He said, handing her badge and ID back to her. Eliza pocketed them and slipped her helmet back on before taking off, her expression slipping back into one of depression.

%%%%

The front desk at the DPD was, for the moment, being manned by humans. It seemed the they were swamped and somewhat overwhelmed by the workload and the onslaught of people with post-uprising concerns. The department was promised to receive replacement androids within the week but, for the time being, they just had to deal with the chaos.

Eliza quickly steeled herself before swiping through the security gate and heading into the bullpen. She avoided passing Gavin's desk at all costs as she made her way over to her own module. If he were smart, he'd avoid her too.

Fowler caught sight of Eliza passing by the break room from inside his office. He'd been glancing out the glass walls regularly, waiting for her to show up. Setting down his reading tablet, he headed over to the door and intercepted her before she could pass by.

"Elizabeth?" He called.

She looked up at him, trepidation in her eyes, as she nodded and followed him into his office. It was time to rip off the Band-Aid, she thought to herself.

"I'm not angry with your decision to resign. I might have even seen it coming," he told her, seeming oddly compassionate. "Hank's death was hard on all of us but, considering you were there that night, I can understand how this is a very personal issue for you. But I have to ask, are you sure you want to do this?"

"I'm more than sure." She told him, her resolve unwavering. "I need to leave Detroit."

Fowler nodded, disappointed, but resigned to her decision all the same. "That's fair. I'll accept you're two weeks' notice as of today. You'll need to continue to work on cases, however, and there is one additional catch."

Eliza cocked her head to the side in confusion. "What's that?"

Fowler looked out the glass walls of his office over to her desk. Eliza's gaze followed his and her heart sank in her chest as she saw Connor, no, another RK android in a white jacket standing in front of her desk. She must have been so concentrated on avoiding Gavin, she hadn't noticed it. Damn hangovers, she inwardly cursed.

"What the fuck is that?" She asked, already anticipating what he was going to say.

"That's the new RK900 model from CyberLife. We just received it this morning."

"And why is it standing by my desk?" She asked, her tone stilted from the anger brewing within her.

"I received a call from our CyberLife representative with a request that the new model be assigned to you," he told her, dropping the bomb.

"What the fuck?!" She blurted out, certain everyone within earshot heard her. "Why?"

"I couldn't tell you, but those were their conditions," he said.

Fowler knew that this conversation would not go well. He almost seemed tired of it already. Eliza on the other hand was still reeling from the absurdity of it all.

"You are not assigning me cleanup duty with the T-1000!" Eliza snapped, pointing at the KR900 who seemed to be in idle mode.

"Don't argue with me on this, Elizabeth. 14 days and you're out of here," he told her, not willing to give an inch.

Eliza stuffed her hands into her jacket pockets and looked out the glass paneling at the android. For the most part, he looked like Connor, except he was larger… like he was solely built for combat. She was suddenly overcome by a crushing feeling as she realized what her new assignments would be.

"I can't hunt deviants," she said quietly, trying to hold herself together. "I don't want to."

Fowler regarded the young detective with sympathy. He knew how she felt about the deviants. Her behavior during the past month made that painfully clear to see. But Markus's failed revolution turned the city upside down and both CyberLife and the government were calling the shots now. Their main line was that the deviants were not a people, they were simply flawed machines that had to be deactivated in order to maintain the peace.

"I'm sorry, but it's only fourteen days and then you're done."

"Fourteen days…" she murmured, her gaze falling to the floor before flicking back up to his. The light in her eyes was renewed with a strange, determined, fire. "You give this android to me and I'm running the show, okay? That's all there is to it."

Fowler nodded. "You do what you have to."

%%%%

Exiting Fowler's office, Eliza slowly approached the RK900 android. She knew that every step brought her closer to having to work with it. The machine stood beside her desk with perfectly squared shoulders, quietly looking around the room. It was much larger than Connor was and the addition of ice blue eyes and wider jaw made it appear far more intimidating. Also, that high-collared white jacket he wore made him look like a fascist, she thought. Eliza wondered if CyberLife threw out the "harmoniously integrating with humans" motto with the new RK models in favor of a more direct approach. Still, as she got closer, its expression did seem vaguely similar to that of a lost puppy.

As he locked eyes with her, Eliza felt a sharp jab in her chest. This was not Connor. She knew that. But when she saw the loose lock of hair that hung in the RK900's face, a perfect replication of the one Connor used to have, it set her teeth on edge.

It seemed like such a personal touch for Connor. Seeing RK900 with the same style only cemented the fact that CyberLife made no mistakes, that every look, action, and imperfection was under their control. The affirmation of this fact in the form of that small tuft of hair infuriated her.

In an act of defiance, she reached up to smooth back the lock of hair from his face. Almost immediately, RK900's hand snapped to her wrist, gripping it firmly but not enough to hurt her. Eliza's breath caught in her throat, her heart pounding in her chest, as RK900 glared down at her with those ice blue eyes. She was doing her best not to look perturbed but knew he'd see through her facade the moment he ran a scan on her.

"What are you doing?" RK900 had Connor's voice. That in itself was very off-putting.

"Your hair, there's a bit out of place," she explained, refusing to break under pressure of this machine. "I was fixing it."

"My appearance is exactly as CyberLife designed it, Detective. I would appreciate if you didn't alter it." He told her before letting go of her wrist.

This wasn't a suggestion, that much Eliza understood. She was going to have to deal with his hair looking exactly like Connor's, along with most everything else.

"Fine. I guess we should get started then. Your module is over there," She told him, pointing to empty space that butted up against her desk. She attempted to sit down in her chair but was stopped by the android speaking once more.

"Forgive my previous rudeness, Detective. I'm afraid I was not given the chance to properly introduced myself. I am RK900, the android sent by CyberLife."

"Elizabeth Nielson," she muttered dispassionately before sliding past him and sitting down.

The RK900 looked down at her curiously, his dark brows furrowed as he observed her.

"You're angry," he said, pointing out the obvious. "I understand you had a brief working relationship with RK800. Does your discomfort stem from our similarities?"

"Connor," she corrected him coldly, opening her laptop and switching it on. "His name was Connor. And don't worry, you're nothing like him."

The stern-faced android did not seem to take offense to her comment, though he gave her a look of mild confusion. He was nearly identical to the RK800 series in physical appearance, disregarding his blue eyes and larger build. He wordlessly filed her comment away, deciding to return to it at a later time.

"I understand you were barred from working with the RK800 series because you gave the android, Connor, a gun without permission from CyberLife which it later used in a hostage crisis."

"Yes," she bit out, annoyed he brought up that incident. "I was."

"Since handling firearms is standard feature in the RK900 series. Your past indiscretion is no longer a problem."

What he was saying was SHE would not be a problem for HIM. That still did not explain why she was being saddled with him for the next two weeks. The people at CyberLife were not the type to give second chances. So why would they risk assigning their newest prototype to a detective who was a proven risk? A detective who was leaving in two weeks. There was something almost sinister about the whole thing. She knew she was being used, but could not put the pieces together yet.

All she had to do was survive another 14 days. Then she could leave the nightmare of Detroit behind- maybe go someplace warm with beaches and palm trees.

"So, what's your name?" She asked.

"My registered name is currently RK900. You may change it if you wish." He told her.

She refrained from telling him that his unimaginative model number suited him perfectly. She could see that this android would probably not take kindly to another slight. So, she decided to give him a nickname instead.

"Alright, I'll call you Nines," she said.

"Please confirm the name change for me, detective, so that it may be properly registered." Said the RK900, seeming not to have an opinion about the name either way.

Eliza looked him in his ice blue eyes, making sure he could hear her right as she spoke.

"Your name is Nines," she repeated clearly, somewhat agitated. She was sure she said it loud enough that it turned more than a few heads in the bull pin.

"My name is Nines. Thank you for your assistance." He told her, before heading to his module and sitting down.

"Sure," muttered Eliza as she shoved her hands into her coat pockets and leaned back in her chair. She had every intention of staring at her computer screen for the next three hours until lunch.

Nines stared at her from across his desk, having not moved an inch since taking a seat. He waited patiently for further instructions but this only lasted a few minutes.

"Is there anything I can do to assist you in beginning your work, detective?" The android inquired. To Eliza's amusement, he sounded a bit impatient.

"I'm good, thanks." She replied, hoping that a dead-end answer would get Nines to leave her alone. No such luck, though.

"I'm getting a report of vandalism at a CyberLife accessory store. This is the fourth one reported today," he informed her, looking hyper-focused as he speedily went over the details of each incident. It looked to be caused by deviant activists- possibly the last remnants of Jericho. If they were, this would be a high-priority mission.

Eliza, on the other hand, wanted to tell Nines that she couldn't be fucked to care about vandal cases, but she also knew Fowler would have her ass if she didn't go. She was already pushing her luck with how far she could stretch his sympathy. Not-to-mention, she didn't put it past the android in front of her to throw her over his shoulder and drag her to the crime scene. He seemed pretty driven.

"Do you have the address?" She asked, giving in to the inevitable.

"Yes. I'm sending it to your phone now, detective," he informed her.

Her phone vibrated in her pocket a second later. The store looked like it was in the downtown area.

"Alright let's go, then." Said Eliza, getting up from her chair and heading towards the elevator that led to the parking garage. Nines followed closely behind her, like an imposing shadow. The silver doors to the elevator opened up, revealing Gavin Reed in his brown leather jacket, holding a coffee. Eliza felt her entire body immediately go on the defensive, her heart slamming against her ribs as Gavin exited the car. Little did she know, Nines picked up on this fight or flight reaction and prepared himself to act if necessary.

"Well look at this, Plastic Prick 2.0," Gavin said snidely, looking Nines up and down. His gaze returned to Eliza's then as he muttered, "You going to let it fuck you too?"

"At least this one will have the proper equipment to make me cum," she told him spitefully, pushing past him and jamming her thumb on the 'close door' button.

Gavin scowled as he looked from Eliza to Nines. "I almost feel sorry for you, tin can."

Nine's lips parted, seeming as if he was going to give a response, but the elevator doors slid closed and he remained silent.

AN: Hey everyone! Thanks for following my story so far! Please review, favor, and follow :) Nines is on the scene now, which is fun! Next chapter we get to see him ride bitch on Eliza's motorcycle LOL I'm so excited.


	4. Chapter 4

**Open Wounds:**

Eliza glanced over at Nines through the uncomfortable silence of the elevator ride to the garage. She felt she should say something about their run-in with Gavin, though, she figured that Nines probably wouldn't care. Still, she felt awkward not even acknowledging it.

Little did she know, Nines was cataloging her negative physical and emotional reactions to Gavin and labeling him as a possible low-level threat. Yet, nothing in his expression would indicate he was even giving him a second thought. After all, threat assessment was a new standard feature in RK900 units; there was nothing particularly out of the ordinary with it.

"That was Gavin Reed, the most selfish asshole on the planet. Avoid at all costs." Eliza warned, crossing her arms over her chest.

"It seems that Detective Reed has issues with androids, as well as yourself," he replied, once again, pointing out the obvious.

"Yeah, well, it used to just be androids." She muttered.

"Perhaps his hostility stems from your having intercourse with one another. Judging by your exchange, it seemed that the encounter ended poorly." Said Nines.

Eliza snapped her head over to look at him, her face burned bright red with embarrassment.

"Wow, okay... that is certainly a possibility." She exclaimed uncomfortably, praying that the elevator would go faster. She couldn't believe he was openly talking about her sex life. To her dismay, Nine's articulate voice filled the small metal car again.

"I would like to point out that sexual relations between co-workers is widely frowned upon by upper management. Your poor conduct could cost you future career advancement opportunities." He said, looking down at her with an arched eyebrow. What was this, she wondered, was he actually throwing the book at her? She took a deep breath as she clenched and unclenched her fists to curb her mounting frustration with this stick-up-his-ass android.

"Yeah well, it's not like I'm trying to get promoted." She replied, resisting the urge to tell him he was an asshole. She really needed him to take the hint and shut up.

Finally, the elevator doors opened and Eliza all but jetted out into the parking garage, taking advantage of the newfound space she could put between herself and her new partner. However, Nines had no trouble catching up to her. In a few long strides, he was by her side again. Eliza silently cursed his long legs as she gave into the fact she wasn't going to shake him.

"I was informed by my contact at CyberLife that you are resigning from the DPD. Why is that?" Nines inquired, changing the subject. Not necessarily to a better one, Eliza noted.

"I need a change of pace," she said as she reached her motorcycle.

Nines watched her curiously as she began digging in her pockets for her keys. He came to the conclusion she wasn't going to elaborate further. There had to be a better reason, he thought. The android detective started sifting through the possibilities based on the little he knew of her from Connor's memory files and found the most likely explanation.

"I understand that my predecessor, Connor, killed your friend, Lieutenant Hank Anderson." He said, having just watched the recording of the incident through Connor's perspective. "He was murdered in front of you. I can understand why you would resign after having gone through such a large emotional trauma," he told her.

Eliza, who was slipping on her gloves, went completely ridged at the mention of Hank and the night on the rooftop. If she were an android, she'd have felt the harsh warning of a software instability slam her system processors.

"They told you what Connor did?" She asked trying to mask the tremor in her voice.

"No. However, Connor's memories have been uploaded to my storage drive so that I may access and learn from them," he explained. The perturbed look on Eliza's face told him she didn't find this information comforting. He felt he should probably elaborate. Tugging his jacket lapels closer, he approached her from the other side of the bike, his blue gaze drawn to her face. "You should know that even though I can observe Connor's memories, I am not a copy of the RK800. I was programmed with my own set of social and identity functions- most closely resembling what you humans would call a personality." He explained.

"Personality," murmured Eliza as her eyes flickered up to his ice blue gaze. Connor had a personality too, she thought. He was polite and kind, with a mild disposition and he ended up murdering Hank in order to complete his mission. He had become the callous machine CyberLife wanted him to be. There was no telling what Nines was capable of.

"Please don't access Connor's memories again," she said, her voice quiet as she mounted her bike.

"As you wish, Detective Nielson. Although, I have one last question regarding Connor's actions that night. Why didn't he kill you?" Nines asked, his brow knit together in honest confusion. "He didn't hesitate when it came to Lieutenant Anderson, but then he decided to spare you. It doesn't make sense."

The silence that filled the parking garage following his question was electrified with tension as Eliza stared at him in disbelief. To Nines, she looked as though she had just been shot. Pain blossomed within Eliza's chest, spreading from her heart outwards to her lungs and throat, as she tried grappling with Nines's utter insensitivity. She forced all her feelings down, stamping them out until all that was left was her anger.

"You know what? Find your own fucking ride to the crime scene." She snapped before starting her motorcycle and peeling out of the parking garage.

She was gone in an instant, leaving only a thick black tire tread on the cement. A few moments passed before Nines decided she was not coming back and he wordlessly headed towards the elevator to find an officer to drive him downtown.

RA9RA9RA9

"Good afternoon, Amanda," said Nines as he approached the older woman from the entrance of the Japanese garden.

Amanda was wearing a white suit with a long blue shawl draped around her shoulder. Her appearance mimicked a morpho butterfly. She put down her gardening shears and turned to face the android. The white roses were in full bloom and they had needed pruning. She offered him a warm yet professional smile as she descended the stairs and met him on the circular path that edged the pond.

"Hello Nines," Amanda greeted, pleased to see him checking in so soon. "Not a very imaginative name is it?"

She thought it sounded like something a human would name a dog.

"It is the one Detective Nielson gave me," answered Nines, seeming unbiased. He had no particular desire to pick a name himself and Nines served just as well as RK900.

"Tell me, what do you think of your new partner?" Amanda asked, leading him in a leisurely stroll around the garden. Her sandals clicked lightly against the white stone path as Nines thought carefully on what he should say. She was his partner after all.

"It's complicated. I believe Detective Nielson may be suffering from post-traumatic stress after the events of the Uprising. Judging by the multiple reports of bad conduct she has collected in the past couple weeks, it seems clear that she no longer wishes to be of aid to the DPD. Regarding our partnership, her attitude towards me is understandably cold if not antagonistic."

"Understandably… I'm curious, why do you phrase it like that?" She asked, her penetrative gaze falling on him.

"Her past relationship with Connor is most likely the main cause of her distrust. After all, my predecessor and I are both RK models sent by CyberLife and are quite similar in appearance." He paused for a moment, his gaze drawn over to the crystalline pond. Nines' stern expression slowly fell as he thought of the hurt look on Eliza's face before she had driven off. In truth, it hadn't bothered him until now. But causing her pain seemed wrong to him. They were partners after all. Suddenly, he felt the minor but discomforting nudge of a software instability warning as it flashed red in the right-hand corner of his vision. "... Also, I believe I may have overstepped myself this morning."

"Whatever do you mean, Nines?" asked Amanda.

"Detective Neilson had asked me not to bring up her past with Connor but I continued to press her. I should have respected her wishes," he explained.

Amanda's expression soured as she listened to Nines's moment of introspection. The RK900 was designed to be more calculating and less focused on human affect. Sensitivity features in RK units were obsolete, even superfluous.

"Sometimes it's not possible to meet everyone's needs, Nines. The mission must always come first." She told him.

"Understood," he nodded, feeling it would be pointless to raise doubts.

"Now, regarding this string of vandalisms you're investigating, they need to be stopped immediately. If the public gets a sense that there is a resurgence of deviants, there will be chaos." She told him.

"From what I've read in the previous reports, the crimes seem to mimic those of the early Jericho raids." He explained.

Amanda stopped in her tracks upon hearing the name Jericho. There were still a few small factions of the group left in the city. This much was known. However, after the death of Markus, their leader remained anonymous. If these crimes were committed by Jericho members then it was their only link to finding them.

"Find out who these vandals are, Nines," Amanda ordered, her seemingly endless gaze grew almost black. "It is your mission to eliminate all traces of Jericho."


End file.
